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Thread: Tool Storage

  1. #1

    Tool Storage

    I?m in the process of redesigning the way I package my tools and other kit for living in the back of my 4Runner. Post up pictures of your packing style and what you typically bring on day trips, etc, and then help me with my problem.

    In an effort to trim down the weight and volume of the stuff that travels with me in the 4Runner, I've begun the process on pairing down the tools I bring. Right now I have 4 ammo cans, a Plano tool box, and a wrench box holding tools and supplies:

    Ammo can 1: Recovery gear - 2 tow straps, one shackle (other on bumper), snatch block, winch control
    Ammo can 2: sockets 1/2" drive and 3/8" drive sets
    Ammo can 3: compressor - perfect for just the compressor
    Ammo can 4: Etc. - fix a flat, road flares, super siphon
    Tool box - wd40, gloves, rtv, pry bar, screw drivers, channel locks, goop hand cleaner, zip ties, assorted tire repair products, rope, tape, etc.
    Wrench box - metric combo wrenches, and metric and standard ratcheting wrenches.

    I am interested in reducing specifically the sockets and wrenches, but not so much in reducing what I bring, but reducing their footprint in the back. Currently I have 4 'fat' .50 Cal ammo cans that I store my stuff in. Their approximate dimensions are 12"L x 7" W x 8.375"H. Inside, take an 1/8th from those dimensions.

    I'd like to be able to fit both socket sets (as I currently do) and the wrench set(s) in one ammo box. In addition, I?d like to not have to dig under a bunch of stuff to find the box I need or have a box full of mixed up sockets.

    I have seen the 3 layer organizers on the market that fit the regular .50cal boxes, but they are slightly too small for my boxes, and they seem like they would not very efficiently meet my needs. I am thinking of making my own however, and I?m working on designs for those.

    Ideas?
    2005 Lexus LX470 - Stock for now...

    1998 Toyota 4Runner SR5 V6 4x4 + a bunch of goodies. Lifted, Locked, Illuminated and Armored. Winner,"Best Offroad Truck" - 2010 Pismo Jamboree. It's been upside down and still drives me to work.

  2. #2

    Re: Tool Storage

    I'm on my phone right now but have some to add to this and some pics. When the kids go to sleep I'll post up.

  3. #3

    Re: Tool Storage

    do you have any prejudice against soft tool bags? The ones below are the exact 2 I have. In one bag is a long & short 3/8" ratchet, 3"/6"/9" extensions, wrenches, metric deep & shallow sockets (8mm-19mm), relevant screw drivers, ball peen hammer, small needle nose vice grips, channel locks, pliers, needle nose, and wire cutter. The other bag is assorted nuts/bolts, wire ties, silicone "rescue" tape, test light, spare drive belt, gas tank repair epoxy, JB Kwik, and a few other bits and pieces. I can remove or overhaul anything in the truck with the tools in the first bag, both bags take about the space of one .50 cal ammo can and can fit in all sorts of places.

    Keith '88 4runner SR5 Garage Thread

  4. #4

    Re: Tool Storage

    im not super crazy about soft sided bags. i have a couple that i use for house calls, but they usually end up as a bag of junk with some tools at the bottom. i can never find anything when stuff like that is loose. hell i have a hard time finding sockets in my small plastic boxes i keep them in now. id really prefer something like a portable version of this for sockets: http://www.amazon.com/Pc-Hansen-Sock.../dp/B000VSDKS0
    and something like this for wrenches: http://www.craftsman.com/craftsman-f...2&blockType=L2

    i have some ideas on how to make that happen with some custom boxes. im working on some sketches now and tomorrow i might lay them out and work some details out.

    i like the idea of a custom, fitted solution so i can see what is missing at a glance.
    2005 Lexus LX470 - Stock for now...

    1998 Toyota 4Runner SR5 V6 4x4 + a bunch of goodies. Lifted, Locked, Illuminated and Armored. Winner,"Best Offroad Truck" - 2010 Pismo Jamboree. It's been upside down and still drives me to work.

  5. #5

    Re: Tool Storage

    Let me start by saying I love tools. I love working on things and I like fixing things. I also don't really like relying on others to fix things for me.

    As such I've carried many tools around for various reasons and in various forms. I've also learned a lot and will take you on my journey.

    I used to have a full sized Chevy truck with a cross bed tool box. I loved that box for no other reason than that I could fill it stuff. I had everything in there. Tell me to drive cross country, I was ready. Tell me to get stuck or stranded in any weather, I was ready. Tell me to fix or take something apart, you get the idea. A couple of issues of my setup. It was heavy, it was worth a lot of money and stood the risk of being stolen and for the most part I only used 10%of the stuff maybe 5% of the time. I had recovery tools, hand tools, air tools, food, water, first aid, clothes, bike tools, tarps, flares, everything.

    The Box:


    This was one of two boxes in the box. One 3 drawer and one 2 drawer.


    Stuff:














    That just gives you an idea of some of the stuff I carried, everyday. The truck was big, got 15 mph no matter what, I was single and it was my thing. Everything was organized but it was a lot of stuff and not always used.

    I went from that truck and setup to a 3rd gen 4Runner. While I really wanted the 4runner it was a little clown car in comparison. If I stuck all that stuff from the box and what I carried behind the seat the passenger and cargo area would be full and I'd need a supercharger just to get around.

    As such I pared down. I was no longer a traveling bike mechanic/fix it man. I carried stuff I never needed and left it at home. I got rid of duplicates and some items that had only one use. I also got more multi use tools in an effort to save space. Another thing I did was get cheaper tools. This allowed me to get more but I was able to keep my nicer stuff at home. That way I wasn't as worried to loan stuff out or modify it in the field to make it work. If a wrench was too long to fit in the kit I would cut it or cut stuff I didn't need.

  6. #6

    Re: Tool Storage

    One thing about the 3rd gen was that it had things my truck didn't. It had room under the front seats, the rear passenger seat and the cargo area. I've made the most out of these areas to hold things I carry everyday. Even though I don't need them everyday I may need to pull a Bob98SR5 and pull some cute girls junk off the road in the middle of the night after a sweaty workout.

    Anyways, without going into a lot of detail I've got a tire kit, FAK, flashlight, cb and air hose under the front seats. Under the rear passenger seat I have a rain jacket, 4 high quality 1" ratchet straps, an 800w inverter, the jack, after market X tire iron, and some flares. In the rear cargo box, which I've modified to make more room, I have a ton of stuff. 30' ARB strap, fire extinguisher, super siphon, 2 pairs of work gloves, 2 shackles, hitch shackle holder, 2 hitch pins, digital multi-meter, empty Platypus water bladder, flares, 50' of 550 cord, thick zip ties, JB weld and some rags. The door on that cargo compartment barely stays on.

    In the glove box I have a small zipper pouch with a Leatherman, metric Allen key set, 4" adjustable wrench, 2 seal picks, telescoping magnet, fuses, a few springs, wire, bailing wire and more zip ties.

    I feel with this stuff always loaded I can go most places and feel comfortable. Some days I have a few more items but unless I'm hitting the road for a ton of miles or a hard trail (even a day trip close to home) I don't carry anything else and haven't needed to.

    I used to carry a lot of hand tools on an everyday basis in a soft bag but like the truck I never really needed it and it weighed about 35 pounds. Plus it took up space on the floor of the cargo area that I used for other stuff on a daily basis.



    Now I've gone with tool rolls for the extra items. I've got two rolls and I won't lie, they are heavy. I used to love ammo cans. At one time I probably had 20 and I used them for everything. They were strong and sealed but heavy, would scratch stuff and kind of became a pain. Since I travel with two car seats and kids with little legs I usually put the rolls on the floor of the passenger area or stuffed in a cranny in the cargo area. Somewhere that is easy to get to. Some items that don't fit in the rolls that I may also pack are a hammer (or 2), pry bar, breaker bar and code reader. Most anything else I could bum off of someone or I could get at a store. Worse case senerio I have to be towed home, been there done that. No amount of tools can fix every problem.









    These hold most of what I need, even little nuts and bolts, springs and pins. I got rid of a ton of stuff that wasn't needed. I used to have everything for myself and others but realized I could get away with less and sometimes people needed to take care of themselves. An entire set of open ended wrenches is overkill if you only use a few. I trimmed down those and just added extensions and a wobble. Those combined with the 4" adjustable and 10" adjustable (that opens to 20mm) can take care of so much more and can get the job done enough to hopefully get home.




  7. #7

    Re: Tool Storage

    Sean, the Hanson trays are nice but aren't going to help much on a trail repair. How many different sockets do you think you need? How many wrenches? Those trays are large and expensive. Get the socket rails from HF for $.99 and cut to fit.

    My shovel for instance. I don't use it much but have it with me all the time. It's small and even when I've been stuck (not snow) I haven't wished for a larger one. If there is snow I have a backcountry snow shovel I throw in the back. I sharpened one side of the shovel to a knife edge so it can cut brush or roots. My saw is a Sven and it's always in the rig because it takes up no room under the cargo mat. Small and useful.



    Gerber NATO shovel, super high quality and strong.


    http://www.svensaw.com/index.htm

    http://www.rei.com/product/404013/sven-folding-saw-21

    Another thing I did was fill the empty threaded holes in the engine compartment on the inner fenders. There were probably 8 or 10 empty holes. Fill with the appropriate bolts, maybe add a few washers and lock washers and you've saved yourself some room and weight in your tool bag or box, plus you know they'll always be there. Ditch the regular sized pliers in your bag for a Leather man. It replaces a knife, pliers, small screw driver, small file, etc. Save the extra room from something the Leatherman isn't like Channel locks or vise grips, a large screwdriver that can be used as a pry bar or lever as well.

    These are just my ideas and things I incorporate. The 3rd gen is just a little small for a traveling family so I have to make the most out of the room. As the kids get bigger it's hard to say if packing for a trip will take up more or less room.




  8. #8

    Re: Tool Storage

    Quote Originally Posted by Seanz0rz
    Post up pictures of your packing style and what you typically bring on day trips, etc, and then help me with my problem.
    Here is a pic from a trip from last year. You can see into the back of my 4runner. That's all my stuff for a weekend of wheeling and sleeping at 8,000 feet, under the red cargo net. There is a small ice chest, box of food, folding chair, large rectangular milk crate of firewood, tools, clothes and sleeping stuff.





    This is for a family of 3 and without putting the seats down. Trip was around 400 miles round trip and 3 days of car camping with a toddler.




    This is also for 3 people, seats up but with a 1.5 year old (much different than toddler).







    Again, 3 people (one around 1 year old) but about 500 miles.






    These pictures are just showing my typical use and room or lack there of for stuff and how I cope.

  9. #9

    Re: Tool Storage

    I'm a big fan of tool bags as well since they pack into smaller spaces and they muffle the sounds of tools clunking. When I had my ZJ I used to joke that I carried a spare truck around with me, and given that it was a Jeep many of those parts got used. Here's just a partial list of what I used to carry on offroading trips.

    - Puma air compressor and tank and air hoses.
    - High lift jack.
    - Recovery strap and shackles.
    - A metric ton of tools in a 4 drawer chest.
    - Electric drill
    - Impact wrench
    - Jack stands
    - Spare fluids (transmission, oil, brake, etc)
    - Spare parts (CVs, ignition, thermostat, front wheel bearings)
    - Sledge hammer
    - Pry bars
    - Jumper cables

    There was a bunch more, but those are the big items. Combined with a 90lb 33x12.5 spare tire they took up a ton of room in the back of the truck. I eventually got bored with the Jeep breaking down every month so I sold it and bought the 4runner, and while setting up the truck I made it a point to minimize what I carried day to day.

    Now I leave the spare fluids, impact, drill, highlift and several other tools at home and I've attempted to integrate the other items into the truck so they take less room in the trunk. I've got a plastic box under the front seat that holds small items like shackles, duct tape, tire patch kit, fuses, spare relay, teflon tape, zip ties, bailing wire, and a whole bunch of other small quick fix items. The storage box in the hatch holds the recovery strap, mounting gear, and gloves. The air compressor is mounted behind a panel in the hatch. And I've got a small toolbag in my cargo drawer.

    I'm still determining exactly what tools I "need" and am trying to keep it to a bare minimum, this includes only carrying metric because it's a Toyota. I've got an extendable 1/2" ratchet from harbor freight, a set of 1/2" sockets from 10-22mm, a set of adapters (1/2 to 3/8, etc) in case I add smaller sockets, a set of various 3/8" extensions (work with the 1/2" ratchet using the adaptors), 6-19mm open end wrenches, a combination screwdriver, a large flathead screwdriver, pliers, crescent wrench, and some hex wrenches. On "hard core" trips I throw in a few more items such as a socket for the axle nuts. Every time I work on the truck I try determine if I could do the same job just using what's in the toolbag.

    Anyway, that's a bit of an aside, you were asking specifically about tool storage. As I mentioned I'm a big fan of tool bags because they fit into odd shaped areas. I agree that they can make it difficult to find tools, and what I like to do is put the sockets on plastic rails in the bottom of the bag, wrenches in tool rolls above those, and then misc other tools in the pouches on the bag or in other rolls. As long as everything is separated into groups it's pretty easy to find what you are looking for. I try to avoid having tools just floating around in the bag by themselves.

    - Matt


    2000 4Runner Sport / 4x4 / 5spd / E-locker / SS 1.2 / 265x75x16 Bighorns / ARB Prado / HD-SKO

  10. #10

    Re: Tool Storage

    ^^
    I travel with these guys, therefore I bring my wallet and a pack of gum.

    Seriously, I feel really under-prepared now. I've been driving Toyota trucks since 1993 with no failures, so I guess I've gotten lazy about lugging around a bunch of stuff. Not a good plan.

    What I do carry:
    flashlight
    minimal first aid kit
    blanket
    rope
    tow strap
    2 ratcheting cam straps
    hitch pin
    paper maps
    air compressor & sidewall repair kit
    a few zipties & duct tape
    work gloves
    small inverter
    box end wrench set
    fuses

    All of those items are stored under the front seats, under the rear seats with the jack and in the rear cargo area. The only item I can't completely hide is my small MV50 compressor.

    what I should add to my collection, at a minimum:
    flares
    cheap-o socket 3/8" set, one short and one long extension, 3/8" and 1/2" drive ratchet along with a 1/2-3/8" converter
    extra supercharger belt
    screwdrivers (why I'm not carrying this now, idk)
    pliers & needle nose
    rtv
    wire, wire cutters, electrical tape
    cheap multimeter
    maybe a code reader for long trips
    electrical contact cleaner for MAF
    epoxy
    random sized hose clamps

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